Christoph Wissing | Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (original) (raw)
Papers by Christoph Wissing
Quaternary Research, 2015
Climatic and ecological conditions during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 are complex and the... more Climatic and ecological conditions during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 are complex and the impact of cold spells on the ecosystems in Central Europe still needs to be investigated thoroughly. Ziegeleigrube Coenen (ZC) is a late Pleistocene MIS 3 locality in the Lower Rhine Embayment of Germany, radiocarbon-dated to > 34 14C ka BP. The site yielded a broad spectrum of mammal species. We investigated the carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope signatures of bone collagen, since these are valuable tools in characterizing ecological niches, environmental conditions and aspects of climate and mobility. By comparison with pre- and post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sites in Central Europe we show that ZC belongs in a cold event of MIS 3 and was climatically more similar to post-LGM sites than to pre-LGM sites. However, the trophic structure resembled that of typical pre-LGM sites in Belgium. This cold event in MIS 3 changed the bottom of the foodweb, but do not see...
Human-elephant interactions: from past to present, 2021
Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites, where mammoths dominate the faunal assemblages, are mainly f... more Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites, where mammoths dominate the faunal assemblages, are mainly found in Central and Eastern Europe. At these sites concentrations of skulls, tusks and long bones, interpreted as deliberate constructions, often occur. Rare instances of weapon tip fragments embedded in mammoth bones provide direct archaeological evidence of human hunting. Indirect evidence, such as the accumulation of mammoth bones from multiple individuals with specific ontogenetic ages, occurs more frequently. Based on the eruption sequence and wear of deciduous premolars from mammoth calves, we examined whether a season of death could be deduced from the characteristics of the dentition. Our results suggest that the mammoth hunt was not restricted to the cold half of the year.
Heavy reliance on plants is rare in carnivora and mostly limited to relatively small species in s... more Heavy reliance on plants is rare in carnivora and mostly limited to relatively small species in subtropical settings. The feeding behaviors of extinct cave bears living during Pleistocene cold periods at middle latitudes have been intensely studied using various approaches including isotopic analyses of fossil collagen. In contrast to cave bears from all other regions in Europe, some individuals from Romania show exceptionally high δ 15 n values that might be indicative of meat consumption. Herbivory on plants with high δ 15 N values cannot be ruled out based on this method, however. Here we apply an approach using the δ 15 N values of individual amino acids from collagen that offsets the baseline δ 15 n variation among environments. the analysis yielded strong signals of reliance on plants for Romanian cave bears based on the δ 15 n values of glutamate and phenylalanine. these results could suggest that the high variability in bulk collagen δ 15 N values observed among cave bears in Romania reflects niche partitioning but in a general trophic context of herbivory. Bears represent the largest terrestrial members within the Carnivora alive today and the vast majority of them have carnivorous or omnivorous feeding habits. Until around 25,000 years ago, the coldest period in the Pleistocene, additional, now extinct bear species were living 1-4 , among which the so-called cave bears, a very large type of bear that formed the sister lineage of extant brown bears and polar bears (e.g., ref. 5). The paradox of the cave bear is that their diet has been said to be herbivorous despite their large body sizes while extant herbivorous Carnivora species are smaller 6,7. After their divergence from the brown bear lineage 1.2-1.6 million years ago, cave bear populations showed substantial morphological and genetic variability and multiple forms have been recognized 8 , although their taxonomic status and the relationships among them continue to be debated 9. The possible causes of the extinction of these bears are also intensively debated, involving climate change, human impacts, and (lack of) flexibility in feeding behavior 10-15. Understanding cave bear feeding behavior is therefore important as it might give insights into the extinction of this species, and also it could be relevant for the conservation of extant, herbivorous carnivoran species that are under threat of extinction (e.g., binturong, red panda, giant panda 16,17). More recent studies have shown mixed results based on different lines of evidence including anatomical properties like craniodental morphologies, tooth wear analyses, mortality patterns (e.g., sex ratio), etc. wherein the conclusions were highly context dependent and differed by sample-sets 18-23. This is also the case for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) on collagen extracted from bone/teeth 24-31. Relatively low δ 15 N values of most of these bears so far indicate their highly-plant-dependent feeding habits with possible exceptions for some groups in today's Romania that exhibited relatively high δ 15 N values 30,32,33. The δ 15 N value of bulk bone/
Hominin evolution is characterized by progressive regional differentiation, as well as migration ... more Hominin evolution is characterized by progressive regional differentiation, as well as migration waves, leading to anatomically modern humans that are assumed to have emerged in Africa and spread over the whole world. Why or whether Africa was the source region of modern humans and what caused their spread remains subject of ongoing debate. We present a spatially explicit, stochastic numerical model that includes ongoing mutations, demic diffusion, assortative mating and migration waves. Diffusion and assortative mating alone result in a structured population with relatively homogeneous regions bound by sharp clines. The addition of migration waves results in a power-law distribution of wave areas: for every large wave, many more small waves are expected to occur. This suggests that one or more out-of-Africa migrations would probably have been accompanied by numerous smaller migration waves across the world. The migration waves are considered "spontaneous", as the current model excludes environmental or other extrinsic factors. Large waves preferentially emanate from the central areas of large, compact inhabited areas. During the Pleisto-cene, Africa was the largest such area most of the time, making Africa the statistically most likely origin of anatomically modern humans, without a need to invoke additional environmental or ecological drivers.
Here we present ecological information for a period of special relevance in human evolution, the ... more Here we present ecological information for a period of special relevance in human evolution, the time of replacement of Neandertals by modern humans during the Late pleistocene in europe. Using the stable isotopic approach, we shed light on aspects of diet and mobility of the late Neandertals and UpMHs from the cave sites of the troisième caverne of Goyet and spy in Belgium. We demonstrate that their diet was essentially similar, relying on the same terrestrial herbivores, whereas mobility strategies indicate considerable differences between Neandertal groups, as well as in comparison to UpMHs. our results indicate that UpMHs exploited their environment to a greater extent than Neandertals and support the hypothesis that UpMHs had a substantial impact not only on the population dynamics of large mammals but also on the whole structure of the ecosystem since their initial arrival in europe.
![Research paper thumbnail of Reply to “Comment on “Ecological niche of Neanderthals from Spy Cave revealed by nitrogen isotopes of individual amino acids in collagen.” [J. Hum. Evol. 93 (2016) 82e90]” [J. Hum. Evol. 117 (2018) 53e55]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/56107954/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](We thank O'Connell and Collins for their interest in our research and for their comments on our p... more We thank O'Connell and Collins for their interest in our research and for their comments on our paper . These comments deal essentially with four different aspects of our study, (1) the uncertainty of the estimation of the trophic position (TP), (2) the range of variation of the TP estimates for terrestrial herbivores, (3) the uncertainty in estimating the trophic discrimination factors (TDF) of humans, and (4) some possible discrepancies between the predicted and observed d 15 N values of some amino acids which are not used in the trophic reconstruction. While we appreciate their comments on the analytical aspects of our isotopic analysis, we believe that most of their arguments do not have a significant impact on our data or our conclusions, as discussed below.
Numerous historical sources describe many aspects of the estate-based society in medieval times; ... more Numerous historical sources describe many aspects of the estate-based society in medieval times; the detection of socioeconomic status within populations through skeletal remains is a topic of growing interest in anthropological studies. In medieval times, it was common for members of high social rank to be buried within or next to a church. This was certainly the case in Grevenmacher (Luxembourg), where remains of a church building and an adjacent cemetery from the 13 th until the beginning of the 15 th century were subjected to archaeological and anthropological analysis. By integrating archaeological and anthropological elements, as well as stable isotope analysis, we documented osteological manifestations as indicators of diet differentials in two subsamples (first group consists out of 56 individuals, second one out of 184 individuals) from the medieval cemetery of Grevenmacher. We could distinguish two subsamples that we assumed as different in their socioeconomic status with regard to the burials' position in the cemetery and burial characteristics. Differences in osteological traits such as bone length, stature, and body mass indicated differences in diet between sample groups. To substantiate these outcomes, stable isotopic analysis (δ 13 C, δ 15 N) were made; the results displayed a clear separation between the sample groups on the basis of their diet. Therefore, we were able to confirm certain individuals in the medieval population of Grevenmacher in relationship to their socioeconomic status.
Ancient DNA is revealing new insights into the genetic relationship between Pleistocene hominins ... more Ancient DNA is revealing new insights into the genetic relationship between Pleistocene hominins and modern humans. Nuclear DNA indicated Neanderthals as a sister group of Denisovans after diverging from modern humans. However, the closer affinity of the Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to modern humans than Denisovans has recently been suggested as the result of gene flow from an African source into Neanderthals before 100,000 years ago. Here we report the complete mtDNA of an archaic femur from the Hohlenstein–Stadel (HST) cave in southwestern Germany. HST carries the deepest divergent mtDNA lineage that splits from other Neanderthals B270,000 years ago, providing a lower boundary for the time of the putative mtDNA introgression event. We demonstrate that a complete Neanderthal mtDNA replacement is feasible over this time interval even with minimal hominin introgression. The highly divergent HST branch is indicative of greater mtDNA diversity during the Middle Pleistocene than in later periods.
Ancient DNA is revealing new insights into the genetic relationship between Pleistocene hominins ... more Ancient DNA is revealing new insights into the genetic relationship between Pleistocene hominins and modern humans. Nuclear DNA indicated Neanderthals as a sister group of Denisovans after diverging from modern humans. However, the closer affinity of the Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to modern humans than Denisovans has recently been suggested as the result of gene flow from an African source into Neanderthals before 100,000 years ago. Here we report the complete mtDNA of an archaic femur from the Hohlenstein–Stadel (HST) cave in southwestern Germany. HST carries the deepest divergent mtDNA lineage that splits from other Neanderthals B270,000 years ago, providing a lower boundary for the time of the putative mtDNA introgression event. We demonstrate that a complete Neanderthal mtDNA replacement is feasible over this time interval even with minimal hominin introgression. The highly divergent HST branch is indicative of greater mtDNA diversity during the Middle Pleistocene than in later periods.
Insights into causes of extinction in fossil animals can contribute to an understanding of how en... more Insights into causes of extinction in fossil animals can contribute to an understanding of how environmental or anthropogenic processes may affect extant animals. Cave bears that went extinct in the late Pleistocene in Europe have been considered largely herbivorous based on tooth, skull and jaw morphology. Nitrogen and carbon isotopic composition (d 15 N, d 13 C) of bone collagen of many cave bears having values similar to or lower than those of coeval herbivores support an exclusive plant diet and their occurrence in habitats with denser vegetation. A complicating aspect of this hypothesis is that isotopic compositions of bulk collagen, especially those of nitrogen, could reflect environmental fluctuation as well as behavioural and physiological traits, which are not related to trophic position and so may lead to uncertainty in palaeodietary reconstruction. Here we show that d 15 N analysis of individual collagen amino acids of fossil bears from Goyet Cave (Belgium) indicates that cave bears had a constant trophic position of 1.9–2.1, indicating purely herbivorous diets, while brown bears had a trophic position of 2.0–2.4, indicating a slightly more omnivorous diet. Results might support the hypothesis of the extinction of cave bear due to the inflexibility in feeding habits.
Almost 150 years after the first identification of Neandertal skeletal material, the cognitive an... more Almost 150 years after the first identification of Neandertal skeletal material, the cognitive and symbolic abilities of these populations remain a subject of intense debate. We present 99 new Neandertal remains from the Troisième caverne of Goyet (Belgium) dated to 40,500–45,500 calBP. The remains were identified through a multidisciplinary study that combines morphometrics, taphonomy, stable isotopes, radiocarbon dating and genetic analyses. The Goyet Neandertal bones show distinctive anthropogenic modifications, which provides clear evidence for butchery activities as well as four bones having been used for retouching stone tools. In addition to being the first site to have yielded multiple Neandertal bones used as retouchers, Goyet not only provides the first unambiguous evidence of Neandertal cannibalism in Northern Europe, but also highlights considerable diversity in mortuary behaviour among the region's late Neandertal population in the period immediately preceding their disappearance. Neandertal funerary practices remain at the forefront of palaeoanthropological research, generating heated debates following the revision of old data and new excavations at key sites such as La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1,2 , Roc de Marsal 3 , Saint-Césaire 4 and La Ferrassie 5. More generally, attention has focused on the variability of Neandertal mortuary practices to evaluate their cognitive and symbolic implications, especially as they may provide insights concerning the social systems of this fossil human group 6. Neandertals are known to have buried their dead and are associated with mortuary behaviours that are often difficult to interpret in Palaeolithic contexts. The site of Krapina (Croatia) is an instructive example in this sense. Evidence for cannibalism was first proposed for this site as early as 1901 7 based on the fragmentation and traces of burning from a large collection of early Neandertal remains. This evidence has since been disputed by proponents of alternative explanations for the human bone modifications who argue for natural processes while others maintain that the anthropogenic manipulations are best interpreted in the context of secondary burials 8. Several studies dedicated to cannibalism have proposed that securely identifying anthropogenic modifications related to this practice should incorporate evidence for the
Almost 150 years after the first identification of Neandertal skeletal material, the cognitive an... more Almost 150 years after the first identification of Neandertal skeletal material, the cognitive and symbolic abilities of these populations remain a subject of intense debate. We present 99 new Neandertal remains from the Troisième caverne of Goyet (Belgium) dated to 40,500–45,500 calBP. The remains were identified through a multidisciplinary study that combines morphometrics, taphonomy, stable isotopes, radiocarbon dating and genetic analyses. The Goyet Neandertal bones show distinctive anthropogenic modifications, which provides clear evidence for butchery activities as well as four bones having been used for retouching stone tools. In addition to being the first site to have yielded multiple Neandertal bones used as retouchers, Goyet not only provides the first unambiguous evidence of Neandertal cannibalism in Northern Europe, but also highlights considerable diversity in mortuary behaviour among the region's late Neandertal population in the period immediately preceding their disappearance. Neandertal funerary practices remain at the forefront of palaeoanthropological research, generating heated debates following the revision of old data and new excavations at key sites such as La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1,2 , Roc de Marsal 3 , Saint-Césaire 4 and La Ferrassie 5. More generally, attention has focused on the variability of Neandertal mortuary practices to evaluate their cognitive and symbolic implications, especially as they may provide insights concerning the social systems of this fossil human group 6. Neandertals are known to have buried their dead and are associated with mortuary behaviours that are often difficult to interpret in Palaeolithic contexts. The site of Krapina (Croatia) is an instructive example in this sense. Evidence for cannibalism was first proposed for this site as early as 1901 7 based on the fragmentation and traces of burning from a large collection of early Neandertal remains. This evidence has since been disputed by proponents of alternative explanations for the human bone modifications who argue for natural processes while others maintain that the anthropogenic manipulations are best interpreted in the context of secondary burials 8. Several studies dedicated to cannibalism have proposed that securely identifying anthropogenic modifications related to this practice should incorporate evidence for the
This study provides a refined view on the diet and ecological niche of Neanderthals. The traditio... more This study provides a refined view on the diet and ecological niche of Neanderthals. The traditional view is that Neanderthals obtained most of their dietary protein from terrestrial animals, especially from large herbivores that roamed the open landscapes. Evidence based on the conventional carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of bulk collagen has supported this view, although recent findings based on plant remains in the tooth calculus, microwear analyses, and small game and marine animal remains from archaeological sites have raised some questions regarding this assumption. However, the lack of a protein source other than meat in the Neanderthal diet may be due to methodological difficulties in defining the isotopic composition of plants. Based on the nitrogen isotopic composition of glutamic acid and phenylalanine in collagen for Neanderthals from Spy Cave (Belgium), we show that i) there was an inter-individual dietary heterogeneity even within one archaeological site that has not been evident in bulk collagen isotopic compositions, ii) they occupied an ecological niche different from those of hyenas, and iii) they could rely on plants for up to ~20% of their protein source. These results are consistent with the evidence found of plant consumption by the Spy Neanderthals, suggesting a broader subsistence strategy than previously considered.
-Newly generated pre-Neolithic European mtDNA genomes triple the number available - Clade M found... more -Newly generated pre-Neolithic European mtDNA genomes
triple the number available
- Clade M found for the first time in Europe, prior to the Last
Glacial Maximum bottleneck
- Rapid single dispersal of all non-Africans less than 55,000
years ago
- Previously unknown major population shift in Europe at the
end of the Pleistocene
The Late Pleistocene site "Troisi eme caverne" of Goyet (Belgium) has yielded the broadest set of... more The Late Pleistocene site "Troisi eme caverne" of Goyet (Belgium) has yielded the broadest set of Neandertal remains in North-Western Europe and is associated with a rich and diverse large mammal assemblage. We reconstructed the dietary ecology at the site using stable isotope tracking (d 13 C and d 15 N) of bone collagen. The d 13 C and d 15 N values of all species are consistent with those observed in other "mammoth steppe" sites. The relative contribution of potential prey species to the diet of carnivores (including Neandertals) was evaluated using a Bayesian model. The distribution of individuals from herbivorous species and carnivorous ones was determined through cluster analysis in order to identify ecological niches, regardless of the individual species attribution. The Neandertals within the predator guild and the mammoth and reindeer as representatives of the herbivores occupied the most specific and most narrow ecological niches. The "Troisi eme caverne" of Goyet can be regarded as a key site for the investigation of Late Pleistocene Neandertal ecology north of the Alps.
Archäologie in Deutschland, 67-69, 2012
Climatic and ecological conditions during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 are complex and the... more Climatic and ecological conditions during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 are complex and the impact of
cold spells on the ecosystems in Central Europe still needs to be investigated thoroughly. Ziegeleigrube Coenen
(ZC) is a late Pleistocene MIS 3 locality in the Lower Rhine Embayment of Germany, radiocarbon-dated to
>34 14C ka BP. The site yielded a broad spectrumof mammal species.We investigated the carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope signatures of bone collagen, since these are valuable tools in characterizing ecological niches, environmental conditions and aspects of climate and mobility. By comparison with pre- and post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sites in Central Europe we show that ZC belongs in a cold event of MIS 3 and was climatically more similar to post-LGM sites than to pre-LGM sites. However, the trophic structure resembled that of typical pre-LGM sites in Belgium. This cold event in MIS 3 changed the bottom of the foodweb, but do not seem to have had a direct impact on the occurrence of the mammalian species and their ecological distribution. Apparently the (mega-) faunal community could adapt also to harsher environmental conditions during MIS 3.
The Gravettian site of P redmostí I in the central Moravian Plain has yielded a rich and diverse ... more The Gravettian site of P redmostí I in the central Moravian Plain has yielded a rich and diverse large mammal fauna dated around 25e27,000 14 C years BP (ca. 29,500e31,500 cal BP). This fauna includes numerous carnivores (cave lion, wolf, brown bear, polar fox, wolverine) and herbivores (reindeer, large bovine, red deer, muskox, horse, woolly rhinoceros, woolly mammoth) whose trophic position could be reconstructed using stable isotopic tracking (d 13 C, d 15 N, d 34 S) of bone collagen (n ¼ 63). Among large canids, two morphotypes, "Pleistocene wolves" and "Palaeolithic dogs", were considered, and two human bones attributed to the Gravettian assemblage of P redmostí I were also sampled. The trophic system around the Gravettian settlement of P redmostí I showed the typical niche partitioning among herbivores and carnivores seen in other mammoth-steppe contexts. The contribution of the analyzed prey species to the diet of the predators, including humans, was evaluated using a Bayesian mixing model (SIAR). Lions included great amounts of reindeer/muskox and possibly bison in their diet, while Pleistocene wolves were more focused on horse and possibly mammoth. Strong reliance on mammoth meat was found for the human of the site, similarly to previously analyzed individuals from other Gravettian sites in Moravia. Interestingly, the large canids interpreted as "Palaeolithic dogs" had a high proportion of reindeer/ muskox in their diet, while consumption of mammoth would be expected from the availability of this prey especially in case of close interaction with humans. The peculiar isotopic composition of the Palaeolithic dogs of P redmostí I may indicate some control of their dietary intake by Gravettian people, who could have use them more for transportation than hunting purpose. (D.G. Drucker), mietje.germonpre@naturalsciences. be (M. Germonpr e), laznicko@yahoo.fr, galetova@mzm.cz (M. L azni ckov a-Galetov a), yuichi.naito@ifg.uni-tuebingen.de (Y.I. Naito), christoph.wissing@unituebingen.de (C. Wissing), jaroslav.bruzek@u-bordeaux.fr (J. Br u zek), moliva@ mzm.cz (M. Oliva).
Quaternary Research, 2015
Climatic and ecological conditions during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 are complex and the... more Climatic and ecological conditions during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 are complex and the impact of cold spells on the ecosystems in Central Europe still needs to be investigated thoroughly. Ziegeleigrube Coenen (ZC) is a late Pleistocene MIS 3 locality in the Lower Rhine Embayment of Germany, radiocarbon-dated to > 34 14C ka BP. The site yielded a broad spectrum of mammal species. We investigated the carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope signatures of bone collagen, since these are valuable tools in characterizing ecological niches, environmental conditions and aspects of climate and mobility. By comparison with pre- and post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sites in Central Europe we show that ZC belongs in a cold event of MIS 3 and was climatically more similar to post-LGM sites than to pre-LGM sites. However, the trophic structure resembled that of typical pre-LGM sites in Belgium. This cold event in MIS 3 changed the bottom of the foodweb, but do not see...
Human-elephant interactions: from past to present, 2021
Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites, where mammoths dominate the faunal assemblages, are mainly f... more Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites, where mammoths dominate the faunal assemblages, are mainly found in Central and Eastern Europe. At these sites concentrations of skulls, tusks and long bones, interpreted as deliberate constructions, often occur. Rare instances of weapon tip fragments embedded in mammoth bones provide direct archaeological evidence of human hunting. Indirect evidence, such as the accumulation of mammoth bones from multiple individuals with specific ontogenetic ages, occurs more frequently. Based on the eruption sequence and wear of deciduous premolars from mammoth calves, we examined whether a season of death could be deduced from the characteristics of the dentition. Our results suggest that the mammoth hunt was not restricted to the cold half of the year.
Heavy reliance on plants is rare in carnivora and mostly limited to relatively small species in s... more Heavy reliance on plants is rare in carnivora and mostly limited to relatively small species in subtropical settings. The feeding behaviors of extinct cave bears living during Pleistocene cold periods at middle latitudes have been intensely studied using various approaches including isotopic analyses of fossil collagen. In contrast to cave bears from all other regions in Europe, some individuals from Romania show exceptionally high δ 15 n values that might be indicative of meat consumption. Herbivory on plants with high δ 15 N values cannot be ruled out based on this method, however. Here we apply an approach using the δ 15 N values of individual amino acids from collagen that offsets the baseline δ 15 n variation among environments. the analysis yielded strong signals of reliance on plants for Romanian cave bears based on the δ 15 n values of glutamate and phenylalanine. these results could suggest that the high variability in bulk collagen δ 15 N values observed among cave bears in Romania reflects niche partitioning but in a general trophic context of herbivory. Bears represent the largest terrestrial members within the Carnivora alive today and the vast majority of them have carnivorous or omnivorous feeding habits. Until around 25,000 years ago, the coldest period in the Pleistocene, additional, now extinct bear species were living 1-4 , among which the so-called cave bears, a very large type of bear that formed the sister lineage of extant brown bears and polar bears (e.g., ref. 5). The paradox of the cave bear is that their diet has been said to be herbivorous despite their large body sizes while extant herbivorous Carnivora species are smaller 6,7. After their divergence from the brown bear lineage 1.2-1.6 million years ago, cave bear populations showed substantial morphological and genetic variability and multiple forms have been recognized 8 , although their taxonomic status and the relationships among them continue to be debated 9. The possible causes of the extinction of these bears are also intensively debated, involving climate change, human impacts, and (lack of) flexibility in feeding behavior 10-15. Understanding cave bear feeding behavior is therefore important as it might give insights into the extinction of this species, and also it could be relevant for the conservation of extant, herbivorous carnivoran species that are under threat of extinction (e.g., binturong, red panda, giant panda 16,17). More recent studies have shown mixed results based on different lines of evidence including anatomical properties like craniodental morphologies, tooth wear analyses, mortality patterns (e.g., sex ratio), etc. wherein the conclusions were highly context dependent and differed by sample-sets 18-23. This is also the case for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) on collagen extracted from bone/teeth 24-31. Relatively low δ 15 N values of most of these bears so far indicate their highly-plant-dependent feeding habits with possible exceptions for some groups in today's Romania that exhibited relatively high δ 15 N values 30,32,33. The δ 15 N value of bulk bone/
Hominin evolution is characterized by progressive regional differentiation, as well as migration ... more Hominin evolution is characterized by progressive regional differentiation, as well as migration waves, leading to anatomically modern humans that are assumed to have emerged in Africa and spread over the whole world. Why or whether Africa was the source region of modern humans and what caused their spread remains subject of ongoing debate. We present a spatially explicit, stochastic numerical model that includes ongoing mutations, demic diffusion, assortative mating and migration waves. Diffusion and assortative mating alone result in a structured population with relatively homogeneous regions bound by sharp clines. The addition of migration waves results in a power-law distribution of wave areas: for every large wave, many more small waves are expected to occur. This suggests that one or more out-of-Africa migrations would probably have been accompanied by numerous smaller migration waves across the world. The migration waves are considered "spontaneous", as the current model excludes environmental or other extrinsic factors. Large waves preferentially emanate from the central areas of large, compact inhabited areas. During the Pleisto-cene, Africa was the largest such area most of the time, making Africa the statistically most likely origin of anatomically modern humans, without a need to invoke additional environmental or ecological drivers.
Here we present ecological information for a period of special relevance in human evolution, the ... more Here we present ecological information for a period of special relevance in human evolution, the time of replacement of Neandertals by modern humans during the Late pleistocene in europe. Using the stable isotopic approach, we shed light on aspects of diet and mobility of the late Neandertals and UpMHs from the cave sites of the troisième caverne of Goyet and spy in Belgium. We demonstrate that their diet was essentially similar, relying on the same terrestrial herbivores, whereas mobility strategies indicate considerable differences between Neandertal groups, as well as in comparison to UpMHs. our results indicate that UpMHs exploited their environment to a greater extent than Neandertals and support the hypothesis that UpMHs had a substantial impact not only on the population dynamics of large mammals but also on the whole structure of the ecosystem since their initial arrival in europe.
We thank O'Connell and Collins for their interest in our research and for their comments on our p... more We thank O'Connell and Collins for their interest in our research and for their comments on our paper . These comments deal essentially with four different aspects of our study, (1) the uncertainty of the estimation of the trophic position (TP), (2) the range of variation of the TP estimates for terrestrial herbivores, (3) the uncertainty in estimating the trophic discrimination factors (TDF) of humans, and (4) some possible discrepancies between the predicted and observed d 15 N values of some amino acids which are not used in the trophic reconstruction. While we appreciate their comments on the analytical aspects of our isotopic analysis, we believe that most of their arguments do not have a significant impact on our data or our conclusions, as discussed below.
Numerous historical sources describe many aspects of the estate-based society in medieval times; ... more Numerous historical sources describe many aspects of the estate-based society in medieval times; the detection of socioeconomic status within populations through skeletal remains is a topic of growing interest in anthropological studies. In medieval times, it was common for members of high social rank to be buried within or next to a church. This was certainly the case in Grevenmacher (Luxembourg), where remains of a church building and an adjacent cemetery from the 13 th until the beginning of the 15 th century were subjected to archaeological and anthropological analysis. By integrating archaeological and anthropological elements, as well as stable isotope analysis, we documented osteological manifestations as indicators of diet differentials in two subsamples (first group consists out of 56 individuals, second one out of 184 individuals) from the medieval cemetery of Grevenmacher. We could distinguish two subsamples that we assumed as different in their socioeconomic status with regard to the burials' position in the cemetery and burial characteristics. Differences in osteological traits such as bone length, stature, and body mass indicated differences in diet between sample groups. To substantiate these outcomes, stable isotopic analysis (δ 13 C, δ 15 N) were made; the results displayed a clear separation between the sample groups on the basis of their diet. Therefore, we were able to confirm certain individuals in the medieval population of Grevenmacher in relationship to their socioeconomic status.
Ancient DNA is revealing new insights into the genetic relationship between Pleistocene hominins ... more Ancient DNA is revealing new insights into the genetic relationship between Pleistocene hominins and modern humans. Nuclear DNA indicated Neanderthals as a sister group of Denisovans after diverging from modern humans. However, the closer affinity of the Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to modern humans than Denisovans has recently been suggested as the result of gene flow from an African source into Neanderthals before 100,000 years ago. Here we report the complete mtDNA of an archaic femur from the Hohlenstein–Stadel (HST) cave in southwestern Germany. HST carries the deepest divergent mtDNA lineage that splits from other Neanderthals B270,000 years ago, providing a lower boundary for the time of the putative mtDNA introgression event. We demonstrate that a complete Neanderthal mtDNA replacement is feasible over this time interval even with minimal hominin introgression. The highly divergent HST branch is indicative of greater mtDNA diversity during the Middle Pleistocene than in later periods.
Ancient DNA is revealing new insights into the genetic relationship between Pleistocene hominins ... more Ancient DNA is revealing new insights into the genetic relationship between Pleistocene hominins and modern humans. Nuclear DNA indicated Neanderthals as a sister group of Denisovans after diverging from modern humans. However, the closer affinity of the Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to modern humans than Denisovans has recently been suggested as the result of gene flow from an African source into Neanderthals before 100,000 years ago. Here we report the complete mtDNA of an archaic femur from the Hohlenstein–Stadel (HST) cave in southwestern Germany. HST carries the deepest divergent mtDNA lineage that splits from other Neanderthals B270,000 years ago, providing a lower boundary for the time of the putative mtDNA introgression event. We demonstrate that a complete Neanderthal mtDNA replacement is feasible over this time interval even with minimal hominin introgression. The highly divergent HST branch is indicative of greater mtDNA diversity during the Middle Pleistocene than in later periods.
Insights into causes of extinction in fossil animals can contribute to an understanding of how en... more Insights into causes of extinction in fossil animals can contribute to an understanding of how environmental or anthropogenic processes may affect extant animals. Cave bears that went extinct in the late Pleistocene in Europe have been considered largely herbivorous based on tooth, skull and jaw morphology. Nitrogen and carbon isotopic composition (d 15 N, d 13 C) of bone collagen of many cave bears having values similar to or lower than those of coeval herbivores support an exclusive plant diet and their occurrence in habitats with denser vegetation. A complicating aspect of this hypothesis is that isotopic compositions of bulk collagen, especially those of nitrogen, could reflect environmental fluctuation as well as behavioural and physiological traits, which are not related to trophic position and so may lead to uncertainty in palaeodietary reconstruction. Here we show that d 15 N analysis of individual collagen amino acids of fossil bears from Goyet Cave (Belgium) indicates that cave bears had a constant trophic position of 1.9–2.1, indicating purely herbivorous diets, while brown bears had a trophic position of 2.0–2.4, indicating a slightly more omnivorous diet. Results might support the hypothesis of the extinction of cave bear due to the inflexibility in feeding habits.
Almost 150 years after the first identification of Neandertal skeletal material, the cognitive an... more Almost 150 years after the first identification of Neandertal skeletal material, the cognitive and symbolic abilities of these populations remain a subject of intense debate. We present 99 new Neandertal remains from the Troisième caverne of Goyet (Belgium) dated to 40,500–45,500 calBP. The remains were identified through a multidisciplinary study that combines morphometrics, taphonomy, stable isotopes, radiocarbon dating and genetic analyses. The Goyet Neandertal bones show distinctive anthropogenic modifications, which provides clear evidence for butchery activities as well as four bones having been used for retouching stone tools. In addition to being the first site to have yielded multiple Neandertal bones used as retouchers, Goyet not only provides the first unambiguous evidence of Neandertal cannibalism in Northern Europe, but also highlights considerable diversity in mortuary behaviour among the region's late Neandertal population in the period immediately preceding their disappearance. Neandertal funerary practices remain at the forefront of palaeoanthropological research, generating heated debates following the revision of old data and new excavations at key sites such as La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1,2 , Roc de Marsal 3 , Saint-Césaire 4 and La Ferrassie 5. More generally, attention has focused on the variability of Neandertal mortuary practices to evaluate their cognitive and symbolic implications, especially as they may provide insights concerning the social systems of this fossil human group 6. Neandertals are known to have buried their dead and are associated with mortuary behaviours that are often difficult to interpret in Palaeolithic contexts. The site of Krapina (Croatia) is an instructive example in this sense. Evidence for cannibalism was first proposed for this site as early as 1901 7 based on the fragmentation and traces of burning from a large collection of early Neandertal remains. This evidence has since been disputed by proponents of alternative explanations for the human bone modifications who argue for natural processes while others maintain that the anthropogenic manipulations are best interpreted in the context of secondary burials 8. Several studies dedicated to cannibalism have proposed that securely identifying anthropogenic modifications related to this practice should incorporate evidence for the
Almost 150 years after the first identification of Neandertal skeletal material, the cognitive an... more Almost 150 years after the first identification of Neandertal skeletal material, the cognitive and symbolic abilities of these populations remain a subject of intense debate. We present 99 new Neandertal remains from the Troisième caverne of Goyet (Belgium) dated to 40,500–45,500 calBP. The remains were identified through a multidisciplinary study that combines morphometrics, taphonomy, stable isotopes, radiocarbon dating and genetic analyses. The Goyet Neandertal bones show distinctive anthropogenic modifications, which provides clear evidence for butchery activities as well as four bones having been used for retouching stone tools. In addition to being the first site to have yielded multiple Neandertal bones used as retouchers, Goyet not only provides the first unambiguous evidence of Neandertal cannibalism in Northern Europe, but also highlights considerable diversity in mortuary behaviour among the region's late Neandertal population in the period immediately preceding their disappearance. Neandertal funerary practices remain at the forefront of palaeoanthropological research, generating heated debates following the revision of old data and new excavations at key sites such as La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1,2 , Roc de Marsal 3 , Saint-Césaire 4 and La Ferrassie 5. More generally, attention has focused on the variability of Neandertal mortuary practices to evaluate their cognitive and symbolic implications, especially as they may provide insights concerning the social systems of this fossil human group 6. Neandertals are known to have buried their dead and are associated with mortuary behaviours that are often difficult to interpret in Palaeolithic contexts. The site of Krapina (Croatia) is an instructive example in this sense. Evidence for cannibalism was first proposed for this site as early as 1901 7 based on the fragmentation and traces of burning from a large collection of early Neandertal remains. This evidence has since been disputed by proponents of alternative explanations for the human bone modifications who argue for natural processes while others maintain that the anthropogenic manipulations are best interpreted in the context of secondary burials 8. Several studies dedicated to cannibalism have proposed that securely identifying anthropogenic modifications related to this practice should incorporate evidence for the
This study provides a refined view on the diet and ecological niche of Neanderthals. The traditio... more This study provides a refined view on the diet and ecological niche of Neanderthals. The traditional view is that Neanderthals obtained most of their dietary protein from terrestrial animals, especially from large herbivores that roamed the open landscapes. Evidence based on the conventional carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of bulk collagen has supported this view, although recent findings based on plant remains in the tooth calculus, microwear analyses, and small game and marine animal remains from archaeological sites have raised some questions regarding this assumption. However, the lack of a protein source other than meat in the Neanderthal diet may be due to methodological difficulties in defining the isotopic composition of plants. Based on the nitrogen isotopic composition of glutamic acid and phenylalanine in collagen for Neanderthals from Spy Cave (Belgium), we show that i) there was an inter-individual dietary heterogeneity even within one archaeological site that has not been evident in bulk collagen isotopic compositions, ii) they occupied an ecological niche different from those of hyenas, and iii) they could rely on plants for up to ~20% of their protein source. These results are consistent with the evidence found of plant consumption by the Spy Neanderthals, suggesting a broader subsistence strategy than previously considered.
-Newly generated pre-Neolithic European mtDNA genomes triple the number available - Clade M found... more -Newly generated pre-Neolithic European mtDNA genomes
triple the number available
- Clade M found for the first time in Europe, prior to the Last
Glacial Maximum bottleneck
- Rapid single dispersal of all non-Africans less than 55,000
years ago
- Previously unknown major population shift in Europe at the
end of the Pleistocene
The Late Pleistocene site "Troisi eme caverne" of Goyet (Belgium) has yielded the broadest set of... more The Late Pleistocene site "Troisi eme caverne" of Goyet (Belgium) has yielded the broadest set of Neandertal remains in North-Western Europe and is associated with a rich and diverse large mammal assemblage. We reconstructed the dietary ecology at the site using stable isotope tracking (d 13 C and d 15 N) of bone collagen. The d 13 C and d 15 N values of all species are consistent with those observed in other "mammoth steppe" sites. The relative contribution of potential prey species to the diet of carnivores (including Neandertals) was evaluated using a Bayesian model. The distribution of individuals from herbivorous species and carnivorous ones was determined through cluster analysis in order to identify ecological niches, regardless of the individual species attribution. The Neandertals within the predator guild and the mammoth and reindeer as representatives of the herbivores occupied the most specific and most narrow ecological niches. The "Troisi eme caverne" of Goyet can be regarded as a key site for the investigation of Late Pleistocene Neandertal ecology north of the Alps.
Archäologie in Deutschland, 67-69, 2012
Climatic and ecological conditions during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 are complex and the... more Climatic and ecological conditions during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 are complex and the impact of
cold spells on the ecosystems in Central Europe still needs to be investigated thoroughly. Ziegeleigrube Coenen
(ZC) is a late Pleistocene MIS 3 locality in the Lower Rhine Embayment of Germany, radiocarbon-dated to
>34 14C ka BP. The site yielded a broad spectrumof mammal species.We investigated the carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope signatures of bone collagen, since these are valuable tools in characterizing ecological niches, environmental conditions and aspects of climate and mobility. By comparison with pre- and post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sites in Central Europe we show that ZC belongs in a cold event of MIS 3 and was climatically more similar to post-LGM sites than to pre-LGM sites. However, the trophic structure resembled that of typical pre-LGM sites in Belgium. This cold event in MIS 3 changed the bottom of the foodweb, but do not seem to have had a direct impact on the occurrence of the mammalian species and their ecological distribution. Apparently the (mega-) faunal community could adapt also to harsher environmental conditions during MIS 3.
The Gravettian site of P redmostí I in the central Moravian Plain has yielded a rich and diverse ... more The Gravettian site of P redmostí I in the central Moravian Plain has yielded a rich and diverse large mammal fauna dated around 25e27,000 14 C years BP (ca. 29,500e31,500 cal BP). This fauna includes numerous carnivores (cave lion, wolf, brown bear, polar fox, wolverine) and herbivores (reindeer, large bovine, red deer, muskox, horse, woolly rhinoceros, woolly mammoth) whose trophic position could be reconstructed using stable isotopic tracking (d 13 C, d 15 N, d 34 S) of bone collagen (n ¼ 63). Among large canids, two morphotypes, "Pleistocene wolves" and "Palaeolithic dogs", were considered, and two human bones attributed to the Gravettian assemblage of P redmostí I were also sampled. The trophic system around the Gravettian settlement of P redmostí I showed the typical niche partitioning among herbivores and carnivores seen in other mammoth-steppe contexts. The contribution of the analyzed prey species to the diet of the predators, including humans, was evaluated using a Bayesian mixing model (SIAR). Lions included great amounts of reindeer/muskox and possibly bison in their diet, while Pleistocene wolves were more focused on horse and possibly mammoth. Strong reliance on mammoth meat was found for the human of the site, similarly to previously analyzed individuals from other Gravettian sites in Moravia. Interestingly, the large canids interpreted as "Palaeolithic dogs" had a high proportion of reindeer/ muskox in their diet, while consumption of mammoth would be expected from the availability of this prey especially in case of close interaction with humans. The peculiar isotopic composition of the Palaeolithic dogs of P redmostí I may indicate some control of their dietary intake by Gravettian people, who could have use them more for transportation than hunting purpose. (D.G. Drucker), mietje.germonpre@naturalsciences. be (M. Germonpr e), laznicko@yahoo.fr, galetova@mzm.cz (M. L azni ckov a-Galetov a), yuichi.naito@ifg.uni-tuebingen.de (Y.I. Naito), christoph.wissing@unituebingen.de (C. Wissing), jaroslav.bruzek@u-bordeaux.fr (J. Br u zek), moliva@ mzm.cz (M. Oliva).
Randall White & Raphaëlle "ourrillon "urignacian graphic and plastic expression in Southwest Fran... more Randall White & Raphaëlle "ourrillon "urignacian graphic and plastic expression in Southwest France: context, dating and inter-regional comparisons technocomplex from Troisième caverne of Goyet in "elgium. On the other hand the sulfur isotopic composition of collagen being linked to the characteristics of the bedrock, signiicant diferences were found within and across the sites, which are interpreted as indicating diferent foraging areas for several mammal species including the Neandertals and "MH from Spy and Goyet.
XVII World UISPP Congress 2014, Burgos, 1-7 Sept., volume of abstracts, p.792-793
Abstract book "Middle Palaeolithic in North.West Europe" Multidisciplinary Approaches
Abstract book "Middle Palaeolithic in North.West Europe" Multidisciplinary Approaches
The OGS-7 (Ounda Gona South) site at Gona was discovered in February 2000 and first described in ... more The OGS-7 (Ounda Gona South) site at Gona was discovered in February 2000 and first described in the Journal of Human Evolution in 2003. It was, and still is, the oldest in situ archaeological site known, at 2.6-2.55 Ma, with abundant stone artifacts and fossil fauna found in association. Other publications in 2005 and 2010 further elaborated upon aspects of the fauna, stone raw materials, and lithic technology exhibited by the OGS-7 assemblage. As important as the site is, the original archaeological assemblage came from less than three square meters of excavation. In 2010, we significantly expanded the excavation of the site into the hillside and recovered hundreds of additional artifacts and faunal specimens. Here we report on some preliminary observations of this new assemblage. In some respects, the additional material that we have recovered supports previous inferences we have made concerning, for example, raw material selectivity and probable carcass processing. The recovery of numerous small cores, though, in addition to several lithic refitting sets, allows us to describe in more detail the lithic technology exhibited by this assemblage. Further excavations are planned at the site, in addition to future work on lithic replication, use wear, and local paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Comparisons will be made with the other early sites at Gona, in particular the East Gona sites (EG-10, -12, -13, and -24) and OGS-6.
Wißing hat zum Ziel, die archäologisch bedeutende Fundstelle Germolles geoarchäologisch näher zu ... more Wißing hat zum Ziel, die archäologisch bedeutende Fundstelle Germolles geoarchäologisch näher zu untersuchen. Ziel ist es, das geologische Setting des Fundstellenkomplexes herauszustellen, sowie depositionelle und postdepositionelle Prozesse der archäologischen Sedimente näher zu betrachten. Es handelt sich um die ersten durchgeführten geologischen Untersuchungen im Kontext dieses Fundstellenkomplexes.
